100+ Acts boycott Great Escape music festival in support of Palestine

The Great Escape festival in Brighton, a highlight of the UK’s music calendar, faces a significant challenge this year as more than half of its performers have withdrawn in protest. Over 100 acts, making up roughly half of the festival’s lineup, have signed a statement demanding that the festival sever ties with its sponsor, Barclays Bank, due to its financial involvement with companies that supply arms to Israel.

Great Escape Festival loses 100+ artists 

This year’s festival has become a focal point for artists expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine. The controversy centers on Barclays’ investments exceeding £1 billion in and providing over £3 billion in financial services to, companies that produce military technology and weapons for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). 

The issue was first spotlighted by a petition initiated by the promoter How to Catch a Pig and the band The Menstrual Cramps. Acts including Kneecap, Alfie Templeman, Lip Critic, and Mary in the Junkyard have all urged the festival to drop Barclays.

Signed Statements from artists

The signed statement by the artists powerfully condemns the association, stating: “UN human rights officials and genocide scholars have described Israel’s military assault on Gaza as a ‘textbook case of genocide.’ Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the last five months, with relentless bombings causing daily casualties and widespread suffering. These bombings are bankrolled by Barclays. We refuse to let our music be used to whitewash human rights violations.”

Response to Great Escape Boycotts

In response to the unfolding events, two independent record labels, Big Scary Monsters and Alcopop! Records, have also declared their non-participation. Alcopop! Records shared on X, “We were initially excited for The Great Escape, which has consistently supported emerging bands. However, learning more about the Barclays situation from The Menstrual Cramps and How to Catch a Pig, we feel compelled to stand in solidarity and step away, highlighting the corporate greed fueling the genocide in Gaza.”

As the festival approaches, artists like Cherym, Mui Zyu, Hongza, LVRA, The New Eves, and ZHEANI, along with Lambrini Girls, have withdrawn, citing the cultural boycott as a targeted approach against Barclays’ sponsorship. Lambrini Girls’ statement emphasizes, “We cannot participate in an event where our creative outputs might serve as a smokescreen for profiting from the horrors unfolding in Gaza.”

This artist-led boycott has turned The Great Escape 2024 into not just a music festival but a significant cultural battleground, spotlighting the complex intersections between global politics, corporate ethics, and the music industry.